9.30.2013

31 Days of Using and Loving What You Have {The Introduction}

A big hello and WELCOME if you're visiting May Richer Fuller Be for the first time. Today marks the beginning of my very first 31 Days series and I'm so excited to get started! If you're new to the concept of the 31 days series, it's a (duh) 31 day blogging challenge issued by Myquillyn (aka The Nester) each year. The goal is to write about a single topic for each of the 31 days in October. If you'd like a little more background on what this idea, you can read about it here. Last October over 1200 bloggers participated! This time last year, I was just starting up this little ole blog of mine (it turns 1 on Thursday!), so I'm excited to start my second year of blogging off with this awesome challenge.

Back in September, when the Nester announced that 31 Days was coming up, my first thought was I am so intimidated. I wanted to participate, but I wondered how I could possibly write on the same topic for a whole month. What would my topic be? The thought of it scared the c-r-a-p out of me. Then I read two 31 Days intro posts (here and here) from the blog Beauty and Bedlam that eased my mind and actually inspired my topic. She said that in a world full of Pinterest-perfect homes and lives, that we need to be reminded that what we have is both "good enough" and that we need to learn to love what we do have. Embrace both things we have in abundance and our limitations - that includes both tangible and intangible things. It's a little something called contentment and being thankful.

SO. With those thoughts in mind, I'm calling my series "31 Days of Using and Loving What You Have."

Let's unpack that a bit and talk about what's to come over the next 31 days...

First. I have a teensy bit of a crafting/DIY supply stockpiling problem. I've recently started asking myself why I have a drawer full of craft supplies, a shelf full of paint, and a basket full of fabric that never seems to get smaller. In case you didn't notice, I love doing projects, crafting, and DIYing, but for some reason, have a hard time using up what I've got on hand. For example, I'll hold onto cans of paint from projects as if I'll never be able to find paint again if I use up the last bit. (I'm talking about you, three half-empty white paint cans collecting dust in a closet. Why do I have three whites? I have no idea.) Perhaps you could call it Fear Of Running Out (FORO) syndrome? I believe it's a close cousin to FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and I think it's a form of sub-clinical hoarding. Does anyone else have this problem? #pleasetellmeimnotalone

My craft drawer is still pretty much this full...and I organized it MONTHS ago.

My finance-background husband says that in the business world, things like this are called "sunk costs." They're things you've already spent money on that you can't get back. So why not use them? They're not adding any value just sitting there on a shelf. And while I'm at it, why not use them to make something I love?

So I'm taking a stand against FORO. I'm going to shop my house this month, and do lots of projects (mostly) with things I have on hand. I've got a whole list of things I want to do/try and I've already started on a few!

Second. While I sometimes wish I lived in a larger apartment/house and there are plenty of things I'd love to change, that's not likely to happen anytime soon. I know we are beyond blessed with what we have, so there's no good reason to be dissatisfied with our current situation, furnishings, etc. There may be (ok, there are) things I don't love, but I really want to spend this month embracing and getting creative with what we do have - even the quirky bits of our apartment - and making less than ideal things work well for our home.

Third. In addition to material things, this topic of using and loving what I have goes beyond DIYing and crafting. It's bigger than that. I want to spend some of this time writing about other things I love like the awesome city (DC) I live in and the amazing family and friends I have. So there'll likely be some more "touchy-feely" and personal posts on the blog this month.

I loved photographing the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin last spring. Crazy to think these are in my city! I'm looking forward to doing more things like this in October.

A recent photo of "the kids" - my sister-in-law, brother, me and C. Love when we're all together!

So, in summary, for the next 31 days, I'm raiding my house. I'm raiding my lovely city (ok, that sounds a little violent, but you know what I mean). I'm raiding my craft drawer and my paint shelf. I'm going to step back and simply be grateful for the many blessings I have in my life and look at the things I have in a new way. Use and love what I've got.

Subscribing from the "House and Home" category at The Nester's #31Day Challenge.

I think the world would be a much happier place overall if we could all be grateful for the things we have and not always reaching for more. We went to the "World Chicken Festival" in London, Kentucky ... our first time in all the years we've lived here and we had a blast. Who'd have thought? Look forward to following your #31days!

This is my first year participating too; I decided to go the "shop at Goodwill, make old things new" route which is similar to yours. We could all stand to spend less money and use what we have, I think! I'm excited to follow your series. You can check mine out here if you want: www.dearmushka.com

This is a great idea for a challenge. And I love that design in your font. :)

I used to live in Warner Robins, GA, and it has cherry blossom trees. Which is totally random, but there's a cool story behind it. One of my big frustrations, is that they have such a brief time of being pretty & photographable, and I always missed that time frame.

Great idea, to use what I have and be grateful for all I have. I am doing this with gift-giving too. I sell on Etsy, and I am giving gifts to my family this Christmas from my own stock, especially things I haven't listed yet, instead of buying new things. Why should I spend money that I don't have when I have all this stuff already? Also, I'm getting out the art and craft supplies and making things, finishing projects too! I can't wait to see what else you come up with in your series! Happy First Anniversary of your blog!

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